Claudine/Raymart vs Mon Tulfo fight

A brawl erupted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3 over cell phone photos of an actress berating a ground stewardess of a budget airline.

Actor Raymart Santiago and at least six other men ganged up on Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist and radio host Ramon Tulfo on Sunday for taking photos of the former’s wife, actress Claudine Barretto, according to Tulfo’s account.

Tulfo said he arrived at Naia 3 from Davao City on a Cebu Pacific flight when he noticed a woman giving the stewardess a dressing down.

“The ground stewardess was on the verge of tears,” Tulfo told the Inquirer over the phone, recalling what caught his attention before the beating he received.

He said he initially sympathized with the woman after learning from onlookers that she had been complaining of “an off-loaded luggage,” which had been a subject of critical columns he wrote before.

He did not recognize the woman as Barretto until he walked toward the airline’s complaints desk.

Mobile phone

Tulfo pulled out his mobile phone and took photos of the scene, which he said would form part of a column he intended to write, when a man from the actress’ group approached him.

The man, whom he later recognized as Barretto’s husband, “demanded to get my phone which I used in taking shots.” Tulfo said he refused to surrender his phone.

Santiago continued to force Tulfo to give up his phone when several men joined the actor, according to the columnist. Tulfo said he could not recall who threw the first punch because he was being ganged up.

Hit on blind side

Tulfo, a martial arts expert, said he was hit on his blind side as the punches kept coming.

The brawl took place shortly past noon at the baggage claim area.

While trying to fight his way out, Tulfo said Barretto, who was nearby, repeatedly cursed at him. He said he might have hit the actress with a kick as he tried to fight back.

“This is the real persona of an actress who is always portrayed [in the movies] as a martyr,” he said.

He said he pitied the ground staff of Cebu Pacific whom Barretto berated.

Both Barretto and Santiago denied Tulfo’s accusations in separate interviews.

Barretto said on radio that it was Tulfo who started the commotion.

The actress said it was the radio host and columnist who threw the first punch.

In an interview with Inquirer Entertainment and posted on INQUIRER.net after the incident, Santiago said that when he approached Tulfo to ask him about his cellphone video, the columnist suddenly punched and kicked him and his wife.

“Why would I hit an older man in front of my children? I wasn’t brought up by my parents that way,” he explained.

He added that his children were traumatized by the incident.

CCTV footage

The actress said she and her husband were asking for the CCTV footage from airport authorities to prove their innocence.

Baggage missing

Santiago said the complaints stemmed from the airline’s decision not to load some of their luggage on the same flight they took from Boracay to Manila.

“Our group consisted of three families,” he said. “Two of the families’ baggage went missing. The airline should’ve informed us of their decision to load our things on a different plane. Some of the children’s things and medicines were in the missing bags.”

Tulfo said Barretto continued “cussing” at him when they met for the second time at the airport police station. “I could only give her a smile as she fumed at me.”

At the same time, Tulfo denounced the Naia security personnel and the airport police for failing to restrain Barretto’s party as they were restoring order in the area.

Choked

He said he had submitted to the authorities when they arrived and as they were sorting things out, “somebody lunged behind me and grabbed me by the neck.”

The choking lasted a couple of seconds, and Tulfo said he could have passed out if it happened a few moments longer.

No arrests were made by the Manila International Airport Authority’s police intelligence and investigation department (PIID).

Lieutenant Demterio Sison, PIID officer in charge, said his men “have yet to determine the suspects in this incident. That is why, no arrests were made by Naia 3 policemen.

Complainants

“Right now, we have two sets of complainants. Mr. Tulfo on one side and Claudine Barretto and husband Raymart Santiago on the other side. We are still investigating the case,” he told the Inquirer.

Sison, who noted contusions on Mr. Tulfo’s face, said the airport police were still trying to find out who started the fight.

Tulfo reportedly chanced upon Santiago and Barretto, who were among the passengers of Cebu Pacific Flight No. 5J 896 from Boracay.

Claudine/Raymart vs Mon Tulfo

Biglang nabulabog ang Sunday ng sambayanan ng biglang pumutok ang balita ng sapakan at rambolan na naganap sa Terminal 3 airport.  Syempre mas lalong kyuryos ang lahat dahil ang involved ay sina CLAUDINE BARRETTO, RAYMART SANTIAGO at RAMON ‘MON’ TULFO!  Nagsimula raw ang lahat nang ‘sitahin’ ni Claudine ang isang ground steward dahil sa hindi pagkakasama ng kanilang bagahe sa kanilang flight mula Boracay.

ABS CBN NEWS:

MANILA, Philippines – Actor Raymart Santiago and journalist Mon Tulfo got into a fist fight Sunday afternoon at the arrival area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

In an interview with dzMM, Tulfo said he just arrived from Davao onboard a Cebu Pacific flight when he saw a familiar face at the arrival area reprimanding a flight attendant.

“Nasa arrival area na ako, palabas na ako ng arrival area tapos may napansin akong magandang babae. Namumukhaan ko, maganda siya eh. Hindi ko naman siya nakilala. Pinagalitan ang ground stewardess ng Cebu Pacific,” he said.

Tulfo said he later on recognized that it was Santiago’s wife, actress Claudine Barretto, who was scolding the airport staff.

“Nag-sympathize ako sa kanya dahil sabi ko, tingnan mo nga naman itong Cebu Pacific bakit naman ganooon. Marami na kasing insidente itong Cebu Pacific naging inefficient sa cargo ng mga pasahero. Kaya sabi ko buti nga,” he said.

Tulfo said he then decided to take a photo of Barretto through his camera when he heard that Barretto was already cursing the stewardess.

“Noong nakita ko na minumura na niya ang pobreng babae na mangiyak-ngiyak, ipatatanggal daw niya sa trabaho, kinunan ko ng litrato ng cellphone. Gusto ko sanang sabihin na ‘Cool ka lang, iyan namang babae, wala namang kasalanang personal sa iyo bakit mo naman minumura,’” he said.

Tulfo, however, said he was caught off guard after Santiago approached him and was forcefully trying to grab his cellphone.

“Noong nilagay ko ang cellphone ko sa vest ko… nakita nung si Raymart Santiago. Pilit niyang kinukuha ang cellphone ko. Sabi niya, ‘Bakit ka kumukuha?’ Magpapakilala sana ako kaya lang nung pilit na niyang kinukuha ang cellphone ko, tinulak ko siya sabi ko wala kang karapatan na kunin ang cellphone ko. Doon nag-umpisa ang kaguluhan,” he said.

Tulfo said several people approached him and a punch landed on his face that’s why he decided to fight back.

“Habang sinasangga ko ang mga suntok nila dahil marami sila, minumura pa ako. Ako na ang binalingan ni Claudine Barretto ng galit niya. Minumura mura na ako. Tinamaan ako eh. Noong tinamaan ako sa may mata, nagdilim na ang paningin ko,” he said.

Tulfo said it took a while before airport authorities responded to stop the brawl. Airport authorities are currently conducting an investigation over the incident

PEP ph.

Nagkaroon ng kaguluhan kaninang tanghali, May 6, sa Terminal 3 ng Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).  Sangkot sa eskandalo ang columnist/TV host na si Mon Tulfo at ang mag-asawang Raymart Santiago at Claudine Barretto.     Isang eyewitness ang nagkuwento sa PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) na nakita niyang nagwawala si Claudine Barretto sa counter ng NAIA 3 dahil nawawala ang bagahe nila ni Raymart. Galing ang mag-asawa mula sa Boracay, at nagmula naman sa Davao City si Tulfo.    Ayon sa eyewitness, nakita ni Raymart na kinukunan ni Mon ng video sa pamamagitan ng cellphone camera ang pagwawala ni Claudine.     Ito raw ang pinagsimulan ng gulo. Sa panayam ng dzMM kay Tulfo, sinabi nitong awang-awa siya sa ground steward na tinalakan daw ni Claudine. Sa hiwalay na interview naman ng dzIQ kay Tulfo, sinabi nitong pilit daw na kinukuha ni Raymart at ng mga kasama nito ang kanyang cellphone. Nauwi ito sa palitan ng mga suntok. Namula raw ang mga mata at namaga ang mukha ni Tulfo dahil sa mga suntok na tinanggap niya mula sa kanyang mga attacker.    Nagtungo ang magkabilang panig sa Investigation and Intelligence Division ng Airport Police Station para sa kanilang mga statement at complaint.     Mapapanood ngayong hapon sa Showbiz Central ang exclusive interviews kay Mon at sa mag-asawang Claudine at Raymart tungkol sa insidente na kanilang kinasasangkutan. Samantala, pinadalhan na rin ng PEP ng text message ang manager ni Claudine na si Shirley Kuan para makakuha ng pahayag mula sa mag-asawa.